Hartford Tops Sellers List

Shopping center owners in the Northeast are coping with slow population growth and a regional economy that is not keeping pace with other parts of the country, said Sperry Van Ness in a recent listing of sellers' and buyers' markets. But there is good news. An influx of capital to the market nationally, lower cap rates and projected disposable personal income increases of 10 percent to 18 percent over three years make them attractive to buyers. Hartford, Conn., ranks No. 1 on the Sperry Van Ness list of Top 10 seller markets to watch. Raleigh, N.C., by contrast, ranks tops when it comes to buyer markets. The metro areas on this list display a combination of high occupancy, higher cap rates and projected increases in consumer buying.